COMMITTEE OF BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 1 77 



mittee attach to this branch of the work now proposed for the Corresponding 

 Societies, it is sufr^ested that the circular issued bv the Council in accordance 

 with the recommendation in this report sliould invite special expressions of 

 opinion from the Societies throui^h their delet^ales at the next Conference at 

 Southport, so that if it is considered desirable tliat local eflFort in the cause not 

 only of science but also of scientific education would be strengtliened if backed 

 up by the authority of the Association, the necessary steps may be taken by the 

 Council to bring pressure to bear upon the Educational Committees through the 

 Board of Education. 



"The standing British Association Sub-committees of and appointed by the 

 Corresponding Societies, whether for educational or any other branch of work, 

 would, through the Corresponding Societies Committee, be in touch with the 

 Association, and it would always be open for these sub-Committees to forward 

 to the Corresponding Societies Committee suggested subjects for investigation or 

 for discussion at the Conference." 



In accordance with this report a letter was addressed to the 

 President, the Secretary, and the Delegate of each of the 

 Corresponding Societies, pointing out the advantage of securing 

 closer co-operation with the Corresponding Societies Committee 

 by the appointment of a Special Committee to deal with such 

 subjects of investigation as are cominon to the Society and to 

 the Committees of the British Association. 



The report of the Corresponding Societies Committee states 

 that a Conference was held on June 24 between the Committee 

 of Council and the Corresponding Societies Committee, when it 

 was decided that the questions raised in the Report of the Com- 

 mittee of Council should be brought forward for discussion at 

 the Conference of Delegates at Southport. 



The first meeting of the Delegates was held in the Chapel 

 Street Congregational Schoolroom in Southport, on Thursday, 

 September loth, under the chairmanship of Mr. W. Whitaker, 

 F.R.S. After the report of the Corresponding Societies Com- 

 mittee had been read, Mr. Whitaker explained that he occupied 

 the chair in consequence of the absence of Mr. Herman Merivale, 

 who had been nominated as chairman, and. had early in the year 

 accepted the nomination. 



Sir Norman Lockyer then briefly addressed the delegates. 

 He wished to hear their opinion with regard to some of the 

 questions which he had raised in his Presidential Address. In 

 that discourse he had advocated the formation of a great Guild 

 of Science. " We in this Empire," said Sir Norman, " certainly 

 need to organise science as much as in Germany they find the 

 need to organise a navy. The German Navy League, which 



M 



